Atupele donates K3m to Malawi referral hospitals

The opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) presidential candidate Atupele Muluzi on Sunday made a donation of K1 million each to the country’s three major referral hospitals.

Atupele said donated MK 1 million each to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Kamuzu Central Hospital and Mzuzu Central Hospital to enable the institutions buy essential medicines and other accessories.

His donation comes after press reports indicated shortage of medicines at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre is so severe that medical staff are forced to contribute personal money to buy essential drugs for some seriously ill patients.

“I have done this as a trend setter to show that I love the people of Malawi and I want others to emulate this gesture so that we together we serve people’s lives,” Atupele said on Sunday in northern city of Mzuzu.

Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital Dr Jane Mallewa head of the Department of Medicine, Dr Jane Mallewa, said have been contributing “some money to buy essential medicine like Fluconazole and amphotericin from private pharmacies for targeted patients in the wards.”

She is quoted saying: “It pains us to watch our patients die from treatable ailments.”

“The Ministry of Health told us the drug shortage is as a result of the donor aid freeze. We just keep fingers crossed that the situation will get better,” she said.

Malawi’s health service delivery is reeling from crisis after crisis over donors’ decision to withhold aid from the DPP regime over governance concerns and now in the wake of following the Cashgate scandal which dates back to 2005.